


Girls with the names of flowers

by DrMacsFutureWife



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2020-10-21 15:43:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20696000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrMacsFutureWife/pseuds/DrMacsFutureWife
Summary: She'd mourned Daisy for two years...





	1. Chapter 1

Mac hadn't heard a word Phryne had said to her, and it was blatantly obvious.

"Mac! What on earth has taken your interest so intently? You haven't been listening to me at all." She teased, noticing Mac suddenly looking guilty, and turning round to try figure out what she'd been looking at.

Or _whom,_ as she now felt certain was the case.

"I'm listening." Mac defended, but she wasn't even convincing herself.

"You've been watching that pretty little thing all evening, haven't you. Don't try deny it."

Mac thought about denying it for a moment, but Phryne had known her long enough to know when she was lying. Anyway, she had no reason to be ashamed. She'd mourned Daisy for two years, and whilst she was generally good at distracting herself from her more primal desires, she was lonely.

"There's no law against looking." She lit up another cigarette, turning them so she couldn't see the girl anymore. "Now, you have my full attention. Start at the beginning."

Phryne was distracted then.

"She's looking back." She had a mischievous glint in her eye then. "Why don't you ask her to dance."

"Don't be absurd."

"Hm... maybe you won't have to."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Excuse me, Miss Fisher?"

The girl in question was suddenly beside them then, and Mac felt her breath hitch for a moment. She was even prettier up close.

"At your service." Phryne did a little curtsey.

"Oh I- I wondered if your companion might like to dance with me. I've been dying for a spin, and the only offers I've had all evening have been from handsy dewdroppers."

"I don't really dance." Mac dismissed, trying to ignore her anxiety.

"Nonsense!" Phryne contradicted her. "Don't mind Elizabeth, she's just not one to toot her own horn. She's a very proficient dancer."

The young girl offered her hand with a shy tilt of her head.

"You really would be doing me an honour, Elizabeth."

She took a calming breath, unable to stop wondering what those delicate hands might feel like wrapped around her.

"I suppose one dance couldn't hurt." She acquiesced, downing her whiskey and passing the empty glass - as well as her half smoked cigarette - to Phryne.

She was about to take the lead when the younger woman took the traditionally male part, and led her around the room instead.

"You've done this before," Mac flustered.

"You're used to taking the lead."

"Well, ladies don't often know the steps to take the lead. It's become a necessity if I want to dance with them."

"And do you dance with them often?"

"Not as often as I'd like." She felt the girl pull her inappropriately closer, her hand sliding a little lower on her back than was custom.

"Is it true, you're a doctor?"

"It is, true."

"Is it true, you're questionably single?"

"I'm not sure where you're going with these questions, and your hold is off form."

"I'd say my hold is on perfect form, Elizabeth."

Mac let out a laugh at that. Was she really flirting with her so openly?

"Nobody calls me that." She tried to ignore the way her heart was racing at the way she spoke her name.

"What do they call you?"

"Mac." She offered.

"Hm... I prefer Elizabeth."

She couldn't tell if she was being genuine, or deliberately provocative. She didn't altogether mind, either way.

"I don't even know your name, but I wouldn't call you anything you didn't want me to."

"You don't want me to call you, Elizabeth?"

Mac hesitated.

"I'm just not used to it."

"Beth, then?"

"That's a little easier."

"I'm Rose. But you can call me whatever pleases you." She gave her a half smile that caused Mac to miss a step in distraction and stumble against her. "Careful," her hands were at her waist then, and Mac felt the sudden need to run before she made a fool of herself and tried to kiss her in the middle of a room of strangers.

And the desire to kiss that smug smile off her face, was pretty strong.

"Well, Rose, I think that's the dance over." She pulled back, trying to compose herself, and giving a polite bow before heading back over to Phryne.


	2. Chapter 2

"That looked like an interesting dance."

"It was... _unusual."_

"She got you rather flustered, didn't she."

Mac wet her lips.

"She wasn't what I was expecting." She retrieved her glass and filled it to the brim, deliberately not looking back at Rose; but Phryne was watching her with curiosity.

"She hasn't stopped looking at you since you ditched her mid dance."

"I did _not_ ditch her, the dance was over." She defended. "I've had way too much to drink to keep my balance anyway. She'll do better with another partner."

"Pretty sure she only wants _you."_ She teased, but could see her friend was on edge. "Mac," she reached to gently rest one hand on her arm. "It's been two years. Stop punishing yourself."

"I need some air." She dismissed the comment, and went outside.

~

The moment she was gone, Rose approached Phryne again.

"Is she alright? She seemed a little out of sorts. She missed one of her steps and I- oh I haven't offended her, have I?"

"No, dear girl. Why would you think that?"

"I was a little forward. I thought she'd appreciate it, but perhaps I've misjudged. Is she quite... _delicate?"_

Phryne almost spat her drink. Mac, and delicate, weren't words usually used in the same sentence.

"She's a little inebriated, is all. She's gone outside for some air. Perhaps you could check on her?"

Rose smiled sweetly, and took her advice.

~

Mac wasn't all that far away from the house when she found her, sat on the grass leaning back against a tree, cigarette in one hand, and half her drink left in the other.

"Beth? Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine." She lied, watching Rose move closer and sit on the ground beside her, clearly not dressed properly for the night air. "You shouldn't be out here, you'll catch your death in this cold."

She removed her suit jacket without a seconds thought, draping it around the girls shoulders and meeting her gaze for a moment, then looking away and having another drag on her cigarette.

"But now, _you'll_ be cold."

"I've been colder." She dismissed the concern.

"Don't you ever let anyone look after _you?"_

"What do you mean?"

"You're a doctor. You literally look after people for a living. Friend and stranger alike. Now you're sacrificing your warmth for me. Who makes sacrifices for you?"

Mac shifted awkwardly.

"I do quite fine on my own."

"But, wouldn't it be nice if someone were to put you first?"

She slipped the jacket off, and put it back round Mac's shoulders, the tenderness seeming foreign to her, but appreciated.

"Young thing like you, shouldn't be troubling herself over this worn out fool."

"It's no trouble, and you're neither worn out, nor a fool. If I might be so bold, I'm rather taken with you." She reached up to stroke a loose hair behind Mac's ear, waiting for her to lift her gaze, then leaning in to kiss her.

Mac submitted for a moment, constantly finding herself surprised by the younger woman, but then pulled back.

"You can't just kiss me!" She berated, but at Rose's look of rejection, felt the need to clarify. "Someone could have seen."

"Nobody's out here but us." She reasoned, her eyes alight once more.

"You don't know that. People can be so cruel, Rose. You can't be careless," she insisted, clearly wound up.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I just... haven't been able to think of anything else since you walked into that party three hours ago... but, I'll be more careful." She noticed Mac started to relax then, glancing around to check they were still alone, then reaching to take her hand. "Tell me where I'm safe to kiss you?"

Mac was flustered. She wasn't used to being pursued so blatantly - at least - not by _women. _She had to admit she rather enjoyed it.

"You need to get back inside. You're freezing cold."

"You're avoiding my question." She leaned temptingly closer, tilting her head slightly.

"Rose?"

Mac pulled her hand out of Rose's quickly, glancing up at the older gentleman stood nearby, clear guilt in her expression.

Rose didn't seem too concerned, instead grinning up at him innocently.

"Oh- Father- you scared me."

"What on earth are you doing out here? And without a coat?"


End file.
